Status: 01/23/2023 3:21 pm
Rebels attacked a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Authorities say at least 20 people were killed. Mass graves were discovered in a neighboring province last week.
At least 20 civilians were killed in a rebel attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said. The information is from the dpa news agency. The attack on Makungwe village in the North Kivu region was preceded by several attacks on several villages in the region since the beginning of the year.
Congolese army spokesman Anthony Mwalwishay said the ADF rebel group, now part of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia, was responsible for the attacks. As early as mid-January, the Congolese government held the ADF responsible for a bomb attack against a church in the east of the country. Around ten people were killed in the terrorist attack.
Increase in attacks also in Ituri province
According to the aid organization Action Against Hunger, the situation is also worsening in the neighboring province of Ituri. Since the beginning of the year there have also been an increasing number of deadly attacks on refugee camps by militias. Aid workers would have to be evacuated as their safety could no longer be guaranteed.
Last week, UN peacekeepers discovered mass graves containing a total of 49 dead civilians in two villages in Ituri province. Among them were children. Previously, there have been attacks for which local militias have been blamed.
According to the “Action Against Hunger”, there are now 1.5 million internally displaced persons in the Ituri region. The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. According to the United States, around 130 different armed groups are said to be active there. The renewed violence comes days before Pope Francis’ visit to the capital, Kinshasa.